Episode 37: Cameo Battle ~ The Aska From Heroica
"Hello, May," Morpeko greeted. "You're earlier than I expected. It's proof that I taught you well."
He was totally monotone. Unlike Jirachi however, his voice was low and old, lacking the enthusiasm she could imagine from the little legendary. Coupled with Morpeko's stoic pose, he gave away all too familiar feelings. Feelings Kayla couldn't read right now.
What was instantly clear was May. Her arms had left her back and her mouth hung open, quivering ever so slightly as she let out stuttered breaths. Even after the Pichu shook herself into focus, she still didn't utter a word. All colour and confidence had drained from her, and yet she put on an amazing front that she still had it.
"Wow, what a fancy surprise! I thought you were banned from this place?" the Tinkaton beside Morpeko remarked. She was leaned forward with a finger on her lip, and then hopped up straight, putting her fists on her hips. "Not that I know, anyway. Just, fancy meetin' you here of all places! You remember your old pal, don't ya?"
Tinkaton quickly came forward, but the whole group instantly shifted back, making her freeze. "Oooh, warm welcome."
"I don't think I need to be told exactly what this is," Shannon said coldly. His arm was already back and inside his tail.
"Don't!" May finally snapped, glancing back at him. "This isn't what you think it is!"
Her suddenness and angst shocked even Kayla, and the group froze.
"Only this is exactly what you think it is. A student returning to their master. And outdoing themselves, bringing good favour with them," Morpeko said, still unmoving. May grit her teeth and glared at him, to which he finally brought a hand forward. "Team Daybreak, yes? Alongside Mog. Whilst we cannot deal with you right at this very moment, your being here is only fruitful."
"Who would've thought it? May knows cute guys, too," Pola leaned into a flirty pose. "If you know who we are, then that makes things easy, right? What's your name?"
"… His judgement precedes his reputation," Morpeko sighed, tucking his arms behind his back again.
"Don't," May shivered. "Pola of all the times, please, not now."
"Alright, I'm gonna nip this one in the bud before it starts," Kayla faked a yawn as she came forward. "So what've we got here? Netherworld bigshots? Or is it really old boyfriend drama? Whichever it is, I've had a good day, so I'm not about to let ya spoil it with whatever delusions you've got going on."
"Hey don't lump me with him," Tinkaton raised her palms high. "I'm just a blade for hire. I ain't even been paid yet, so I ain't got no sides."
What even is she? Kayla thought. This Tinkaton was a walking arms shipment with a tank attached. Swords, knives, shields, a bow and a quiver – all manner of weapons were strapped to the fairy in some way, and all made in the haphazard fashion akin to Tinkaton hammers, with sheets of random scrap as a foundation. What got to Kayla the most was despite Tinkaton's arsenal, she fidgeted and animated like a Ninjask, clearly not impeded by weight at all. She would give Kari a run for her money with how jumpy she was.
"… Hold up, chotto matte," Tinkaton leaned in similarly to Pola, only she was eying Kayla. Instead of being flirty however, she stood tall with a cool smirk. "I spy with my eepy lil' eye, an interesting specimen."
"Ugh. Here we go," Kayla rolled her eyes.
"Don't be like that. You're a special one. You've got…" Tinkaton replied as she slinked toward her. In that moment, Kayla caught a spike of energy, or perhaps aura. Whatever it was, something unlike anything she'd ever felt before came from this Pokémon, and it was enough to make her heart skip a beat. To make matters worse, Tinkaton bat her eyelids at her. As if reading her thoughts, she then pointed at herself. "You've got… senses."
Kayla gulped.
"You ain't normal. In fact, you're interesting. First most interesting Pokémon I've seen in fucking years. Don't sheath that blade from me, hun."
"… What?" Kayla's brow furrowed. Her senses spiked again, and she flew into combat.
It was only a second, practically a flash, but Tinkaton flew at her with a fist reared back. Kayla spun into a kick, and wound up parrying the attack. Tinkaton froze there, her brass knuckle stopped by the Buneary's fluffy foot. Kayla couldn't help but hiss at the violent sting that shook her form, but remained in place. Her opponent had a cool but excited grin on her face.
"Vega! Now is not the time to engage," Morpeko demanded.
"Ah screw you!" Vega slithered back like a snake to point a finger at him. "I ain't been paid yet! If you ain't gonna let me have fun with a specimen like that, I'll happily quit the job."
"You have orders. You will be paid when you follow those orders. That was the agreement," he argued, still unmoving.
"Bah, you big corporate types are always like that. Signin' papers lets ya do all kindsa evil shit I don't care about. I ain't about to let your dubious laws take me away from the most excitement I've seen in years!" she argued. She drew a katana and pointed it at Kayla, to which the others stood around her, ready to fight. "You! Precious little hunk of Buneary. You can't hide from me. I've got a nose for this stuff now. I know you do, too. So c'mon, let's have ourselves a big ol' rumble!"
"Vega!" Morpeko's volume finally grew.
"Yeah you can like, stop that. I quit, I'm a traitor, yada, yada, yada, geddit outta your system," she rolled her eyes. "C'mon, let's dance little bunny!"
Kayla wouldn't get a chance to collect what was going on. All she knew was that this Tinkaton's energy spiked again, and it was enough to throw her into her own panic. The fairy type flew at her and slashed once in a wide arc, forcing the group to jump back. Before Kayla landed however, that katana was thrust, forcing her to bend her body awkwardly.
Kayla coughed as she landed badly and stumbled, but still had not a moment to recover. Laughing maniacally, Vega continuously thrust her sword so fast she left afterimages. Kayla dodged it all with careful but unbalanced steps backward, gritting her teeth the whole time. If even one of those thrusts hit, she would be fatally wounded. The thought kicked her into full focus, and she finally retaliated with Quick Attack, hitting Vega square in the stomach. Vega coughed and growled as she skidded back, having to drag her free hand into the dirt to stop herself.
I am not in the mood for this. Finish this quickly, Muffin! Kayla growled to herself. She ran on the spot to strike flames across her feet, and then flew at Vega with Quick Attack speed.
"Blaze Kick?" Vega's eyes widened in disbelief. She had less than a second before Kayla's flip kick struck her front, engulfing her in a crescent of sputtering fire.
"Way to get 'er!" Kari cheered, pumping her fists. To everyone's surprise, Vega slashed right through the flames, her crazed, excited smile piercing through everything.
"Yeesh, you mean business!" Pola complained, posing to cast a spell.
Vega let out a loud but low huff, still grinning. Her eyes glistened blindingly and her hands gripped her sword tighter. After a moment, that excitement faded completely, and she frowned. She went as far as to sheath her katana and stand up straight, dulling all sense of threat.
"Huh? What?" Kayla whispered. Her energy just vanished. Did she seriously?
"You're injured. That's no fun," Vega stated. Everyone's eyes widened.
She could tell? Kayla snuck a glance at herself. Her shirt hid everything and she wasn't bleeding again.
"Of course I could tell. Scouting potential is kinda my thing," Vega put her hands on her hips. "I want a good old fashioned brawl of bloodshed, but it's no fun if the taps are already bursting at the tips. And that Blaze Kick? Man that's the coolest shit I've ever seen, but if you need to hold back 'cos it hurts, then it's worthless."
"You're really going to stop fighting because Kayla's injured?" Shannon asked.
"I want a good battle, and a battle ain't worth a thing unless you're fighting all out, right? Trying to kill each other and all that. Can't do that if you've got patches all over ya. So yeah, I'll put this on hold," Vega shrugged. The group didn't reply. "Still on edge, huh? Fine, I'll sweeten the deal."
I can't get a read on this woman at all, Kayla growled, prepared for the worst as Vega drew her katana again. This time she turned on Morpeko. Er… Okay I REALLY can't get a read on this wacko.
"… You do realise what this action entails, don't you?" Morpeko replied without looking at her.
"Yeah, you're a big shot who these guys want outta their way. If that gets me a big ol' battle with the Buneary quicker, then I'm on their side!" Vega giggled.
"… Swapping sides is too easy for you," he commented. This time only his eyes had moved to look at her.
"Imagine taking advice about friends from a guy like you. Isn't kidnapping little girls like, your thing?" she said, half-lidded.
"Um? Context?" Kayla flinched.
"You don't want to know," May sighed and shook her head.
Morpeko hesitated for a moment, and then shook his own head. "Very well. Another time, May."
He jumped away at that, with little hops that seemed to carry him a long distance. Without looking back at it, he jumped up a scrap heap and disappeared into the scenery. Once they were sure he was gone, Vega sheathed her weapon and sighed. "Yeesh. Am I glad to be outta that. Guy's so boring."
"Uh…" Kayla mouthed.
"So hey, let's do this properly, ja? Name's Vega, V, E, G, A, like the Capcom character," Tinkaton leaned sultrily again. "I'd burn it to your memory like I did with the Pichu, but that's sorta outta my job description right now. Just remember it and we'll get along."
Kayla gulped. "Kayla Brunswick. But something tells me you already know that."
"Brunswick?" Vega seemed surprised. She fell to the floor and laid on her side, scratching her chin. "Joker Hatterene's little girl?"
"You know my Mum? Great, so what's your deal?" Kayla leaned back.
"Ooh, okay. No wonder you're a hotshot, you learnt from the best. But somethin' about ya's even better than the old hag," she swished a hand. She stretched, then twisted and curled in ways that made it look as though she didn't have bones, which somehow resulted in her standing up straight. "'Kay so here's the deal. Yall look like the real Gs, an' Netherworld wanted ya for their big plot. Hired me, a battle arteest, to give ya a run for your money. I'm done with their gig, after seeing your power. Whatever you've got going on, I want in."
"No. Especially if you're gonna talk like that all the time," Kayla replied, half-lidded.
"Eh? Wait a sec, don't disappoint me!" Vega slid over to their side. "I recognise your strength. You and I've got power, serious power that could turn this whole scrapyard to scraps! And I wanna unload it all over the place in a fight for the ages, one I can only have with you! I know you wanna do the same, you can't possibly say no!"
"I can. 'Cos I'm afraid you've mistaken me for the wrong kind of Pokémon," Kayla said.
"Oh, right. You must think this is some kinda trick. I promise, my proper job desc is blade for hire. I make weapons, and then I use 'em in battles Pokémon pay me for. All you—"
"No means no. I'm not interested," Kayla turned away.
"Whoa oops, 'kay I'm strikin' a nerve. Am I'm gonna have to beat up Momma's special lil' girl just to have a good time?" Vega raised her voice.
"Vega, that's enough. We didn't come here to play your game," May stepped in. "If you claim to understand us, then you'll leave us be. Your battles lie elsewhere."
Vega's mouth quivered at that. "And I reckon I've got business. But so be, I ain't getting jack while Brunswick there's injured anyway. So I guess I'll just stick around for a bit, show ya I mean business."
"I'd have taken my chances with the Morpeko, just sayin'," Pola said, half-lidded.
"Trust me. You need to learn to pick your partners better," May side-eyed her.
"True, since I've known you all this time."
"That crystal thingy you're looking for is smack bang in the middle of the junkyard. Can't miss it. Some big scary guy wouldn't let me in earlier, but there's no harm in trying your luck," Vega stretched. "I'm gonna go steam off by buildin' some shit. Catch you later if you ever change your mind."
She walked away… normally. It was an odd look for her in spite of this being their first encounter. Kayla couldn't help but stare, half expecting her to start skipping, or melt into a puddle and slide across, or something else. But she didn't. She was loud at least, with all her weapons and materials clanging with every step. Even after she was gone, something compelled Kayla to stare, never losing a serious frown.
"Shall we? The sooner we get this done, the sooner we're welcomed here," May said. Even she wasn't smiling, but she could tuck her arms behind her again.
"Wait," Shannon said coldly. "We established clarity is everything right now. Who were they?"
May hesitated, but her half-lidded look said it all. "Dusk. That Morpeko is a General of Netherworld and was my direct superior when I first joined. Before then, I was one of his trafficking targets for recruiting extraordinary Pokémon."
"He kidnapped you?" Kari covered her mouth. "But you're so strong and smart! I can't imagine it."
"Strong and smart? I was just a little girl, even shorter than I am now," May began to lead the way. "A little girl whose parents banked everything on her graduating from a university that never existed. It's as dark a story as you're probably thinking, up until Mog there rescued me, and brought me back here."
"Oh gods, this is—" Kayla growled as she realised. The Swoobat didn't look too proud of the memory, rubbing a wing in guilt as she followed. Mog hinted this before. Something about being tortured? What the heck actually happened to this Pichu?
"I was supposed to graduate, become successful, and bring the Pokémon of the Nowhere Scrapyard out of poverty. Even though Dusk's course was fake, they didn't want to hear about it. So despite Mog rescuing me, I joined them. Joined Netherworld in hopes of one day bringing my Pokémon out of this lifestyle," May continued. "As for Vega, she is exactly what she said she is. A mercenary for hire who builds weapons. Netherworld hired her to assist Dusk around the time I was kidnapped. I believe you know the rest."
Twenty years ago, all this happened. There's more to it than this – Mog turned into Mathildaath, and the Pokémon here mentioned May being banned from here, too. And then May got promoted to General herself, and became staff at RSE… Kayla thought hard.
Looking up to try and parse the path they were taking, this place was remarkably different to the Hammock Slums, despite being another locale of homeless Pokémon. There were roads and paths dug between the scrap heaps, and many of those scraps had been salvaged into treehouses or towers. A silent wind made those towers creak, or broke the silence by dragging crumpled material across the soil. An indescribable smell came with that wind, sometimes resembling blood, sometimes resembling smoke. But she could see no fires or hurt Pokémon.
There wasn't a theme to the Pokémon around, either. Grass types, fighting types, even some land-dwelling water types, and many more, all doing whatever they were doing to live. Birds tended to the towers, fairies lounged halfway up the scraps, foxes walked past, carrying their lives on their backs in rotted bags or carts missing wheels. Grubby faces, scarred bodies, torn explorer gear, walking sticks, everything that separated these Pokémon from their regular species. It was like a poor mans RSE Academy but a richer Hammock Slums, where the only similarity between them was that no one was smiling.
How has this place functioned for twenty years? It doesn't look like we can hideout here, but May must know a thing or two. These Pokémon are making it by somehow… Kayla worried, and swayed her head back into focus. They came to another clearing, this time with a familiar sight. Nastily coloured crystal lay lodged into the earth and the scrap heaps, some of it crackling with electric-like energy, while a huge crystal den sat in the centre.
"Fancy meetin' you 'ere, heh heh!" a familiar voice greeted them as they came into view. A male Blissey waved them over. "Just when I was thinkin' about giving up shop 'ere. The golden girls show up!"
"You. Er, Cruxis, right? What're you going here?" Pola asked.
"Same thing I always do. Tradin' my wares, sellin' my goods, and lettin' out this here special cave," he replied, performing a round of poses to show off his goods on stand. "Got some rare things if you've got the cash. Take a good look, won't ya? Never know what you're gonna need 'round these parts."
"What the hell kinda asshole peddles his wares to the homeless? I thought you were a merchant?" Pola put her paws on her hips.
"That's a good point. It's not like these Pokémon could ever pay you with money. And if they could, why would they spend it on the stuff you sell?" Kari cocked her head.
"Ah. But you and I are quite similar, ain't we?" he answered slowly, half-lidded. It was obvious he was crafting his words carefully, now. "I go where the crystals and the dreams take me, and protect Pokémon with my prices. You go where yer heroism takes you, and beat 'em fiends to get powers. So I think me and yous relationship is about ta get pretty lucrative."
"Actually we found the last den on our own," Kayla said.
"And I found this one. Therefore, it's 20,000 fer the lot of ya. Not a penny less."
"Twenty thousand? Who even carries that much in cash?" Shannon shouted.
"I take PET payment now, y'know," Cruxis held up his own PET.
"You've gotta be- ugh," Kayla started tapping her foot. "This is about these Pokémon's lives. Can't you just waiver it for the homeless?"
"You ain't seriously suggestin' a businessmon give their most valuable wares for free 'cos they're poor, are ya?" Cruxis started to sound cross. "Or are you perhaps suggestin' that we battle it out for entry, hmm? Think ya can force me aside?"
"Um, it sounded like Vega had trouble with him earlier," Mog spoke up. "Should we try? Or do we have enough money to pay him?"
"We have enough to pay, but… ugh, it just doesn't sit right with me," Kayla grumbled. "20,000 isn't cheap either, even with our reward from Zude."
"How much do we have?" Pola asked.
"… About 60,000," Kayla glanced at her.
"That's… enough, right? Yeah, that's more than enough! What's the problem?" Kari bounced up.
"I dunno how much we'll need when all this is over and done with. We might not have to pay academy bills anymore, but we'll rinse through it really fast if we try to live stably," Kayla warned.
"We're at a scrapyard, Kayla," Pola was half-lidded.
"Food for everyone. Warm shelter. Possible travel to towns. Upkeep on our gear and items. And all without earning money from missions anymore," Kayla turned to her. The Plusle grumbled and swayed. "And that's discounting any luxuries. I dunno how long we'll have to stay here, and it's silly to ask everyone to ration right now, but it's not something we can ignore, either."
"If we leave the den here, the damage it causes could impede our expenses even more. Whereas if we pay it, the new move Pola learns could only serve to help us," May reasoned. "I suggest we do it, but then have a meeting to discuss our future after. I know how things work here. Kayla, I can work with you to manage our funds."
"I do agree with Pola in that it isn't right to extort these Pokémon like this, but something isn't right about fighting this guy either," Ashe admitted.
"I don't fancy taking our chances with Kayla still injured, too," Shannon added. "Any other time I might push to fight, but back-to-back big battles aren't a good idea."
"Whatever lets us take it easy for a day," Pola stretched lazily. "By the way, you're gonna stop ignoring Shannon at some point, right? He learns Visionary Magic from these things, too."
"Ignoring who?" May slowly turned to her.
"Man, you're such an ass."
"Don't start. Let's just get this over with," Shannon sighed.
"A wise choice. I wish you the greatest of success, Daybreak," Cruxis said as his and Kayla's PETs touched. She felt a pit form in her stomach seeing that much money vanish, but what's done was done. She had to put her trust in May's experience.
Right now, they had to win the battle in this crystal den. Cruxis stepped aside with makeshift enthusiasm, shimmying his hands playfully. Inside looked all the same as the other dens, pure white and bright enough that the group had to shut their eyes as they walked in.
Kayla expected it to be the same as the other dens enough that she walked in without hesitation, only to be struck with an immediate difference. A cold, heavy wind made her jump. To her sides were dark, brown rock walls lined with ancient text from top to bottom. She was concerned until she spun around, where the white glow from the exit was behind them.
"Whoa, it's a new place this time," Pola remarked.
"It's a whole dungeon! All dark and creepy and stinky!" Kari bounced ahead. She stretched up to look all over the walls, twitching her ears. "I've never seen writing like this before! Pola, can you read it?"
"Why would I be able to read it? This is like, old ruin shit. Kinda Ashe and May's thing?" the Plusle replied.
All eyes turned to Ashe, who was analysing intently. She shook herself. "It's no good. I've never seen lettering like this before. I almost want to say it's not from our world."
"If Jirachi were here, I'd ask him. But I guess we just go forward," Kayla said.
"What makes you say it's not from our world?" Shannon asked.
"I've done a lot of travelling and delving into ancient ruins. There aren't many old languages and texts I can't read. I had to learn in order to find out why I'm like this now," Ashe explained, slowly turning to the group. She was playing with her hair. "In my decades of diving into ruins, I have never seen characters like this before. But this place doesn't feel like it predates Isnomia."
"Speculating on what it says will only keep us here for longer than we need to be," May stated. "Let's proceed with caution as we seek the Night Terror."
"Wonder why the den sent us here instead of the usual thing?" Shannon wondered.
No one answered as they climbed the tall staircase ahead. The chilly wind from earlier howled constantly and came from up here, which led outside. They could see a sky totally blanketed in dark, blue-grey thunderclouds that seemed to ripple with red lightning. No one had to be told to go on edge, they all went quiet the moment they saw it. Emerging from the staircase, they found themselves in some sort of ancient altar at the peak of a mountain. Stonjourner stood in a large circle around the centre of the altar, where a short pedestal lined with runes sat. The pedestal was strangely clean and glossy compared to the dusty rock of the rest of the mountain.
Everything below their level was shrouded in a sea of clouds just like the ones above, while the distance was nothing but rays of red light. It was bleak, chilly to the bone, and lonely besides those Stonjourner, who were motionless. That was until Kayla realised that they weren't alone. Three Pokémon sat at the end of the altar opposite them, their silhouettes blurred by the dark lighting and the jagged terrain of the mountaintop.
"Wow, someone actually came!" a girly voice called out from one of the figures. "A whole bunch of Pokémon, in fact! Are you all part of the same group? And here for the same thing?"
Kayla halted her approach as the other two figures turned around. All three Pokémon's eyes glowed sinister colours in the dark, and a serious pulse of energy emanated from them. It made her gasp lightly and tense up, glaring back with just as much intensity.
"Hee hee, seems like you guys know what's up. I know why you're all here. You really all came just to go toe-to-toe with King Aska, didn't you?" the girly voice from earlier grew even more excited. The trio began to approach, finally coming into focus: a Brionne, a Stufful, and a Togekiss.
Just like Kayla's team, this trio had their own stories told by their appearance. Brionne's ruffles were ragged and jagged, with a few tears revealing his fur underneath, while also sporting a horn on his head. Stufful had an oddly stoic stance, contrary to the large scar over his left eye, which he kept closed. The Togekiss wore a purple cape, and was huge in comparison to ordinary Togekiss. Even as the trio came into focus, their eyes continued to glow, emphasizing their focused and eager glares.
"Wait. These guys are different," Brionne spoke, revealing a cool, manly voice.
"Dare I ask? You look kinda feral, but that tone tells me you're fully aware," Kayla replied.
"You'd be right. This one grew up feral, but he's actually an invaluable partner," Brionne replied.
"Lucca! Should you really be telling them that?" Togekiss cried, pointing a wing at him.
"… You were a hero once too, weren't you Angel? Surprised you haven't picked it up by now," Lucca glanced at her. "There's a language only Pokémon heralded as heroes can speak. And it's wordless. This group we're about to face… they aren't your ordinary kids or legend chasers."
The Stufful beside him barked like a dog, but Kayla could tell it was in agreement. She agreed, too – if this was their Night Terror, it would be the first to give them a real run for their money.
"It's Lucca. Lucca Aska. And this is my partner, Mimia," Brionne introduced with a bow.
"I didn't mishear that earlier. Aska?" Pola said in surprise. "That's weird. I think I'd know if I had a hot Brionne in the fam."
Mimia barked louder at her and snarled, to which Lucca chuckled. "Heh, no need to get upset. But I wouldn't bother with the flirting. We're very much taken."
"Aww heck. It's always the cute ones. So what is this? Long lost cousin or what? However this weird stuff works," Pola swished a hand about.
"Seriously, can we not flirt with the Night Terror? You've gotta draw the line somewhere, don't you?" Shannon complained. "Let's focus and take these three down!"
Lucca faced the floor. "So, you really are here to fight. I don't know what for, but I feel like I can enjoy it. To who do we owe the pleasure?"
"Kayla Brunswick, and Team Daybreak," Kayla frowned at him. "Everyone, don't hold back. These guys are seriously strong."
"And so are you, too! This is gonna be a fun one," Angel cheered, doing a flip. "Hero versus hero, huh? And down here, you've got all the room totally let loose!"
"I may be making light of it now, but," Lucca's voice grew raspy all of a sudden, and he pulled his flippers behind him. "I don't care where you've come from. I won't let anyone threaten Heroica, as long as I'm king!"
He slowly drew swords from bandaged sheaths on his back. As he pulled those blades, a harsh, fiery blue aura erupted from him, obscuring Lucca besides a thin red glow from the pupils in his eyes. Just the sight of it made Kayla shudder, but it wasn't a shudder of fear. She shifted a foot back and welled up with energy, unable to stand still. She danced on her toes as if she were prepping for a jog, and grinned cockily.
"The feeling's mutual. For once, I'm looking forward to a Night Terror!" she entered her world of battle at that. The red lightning turned into flashy red stars that scrolled between layers of clouds above and below, with Lucca and Mimia in the centre. Angel performed another flip, and then suddenly sunk into Lucca, disappearing from view completely. Huh? I guess she's some sort of spirit thing…
"Let's mount for now, and make this quick," Lucca ordered. With a little nudge from the Stufful, he sat on his partner's back, letting him hold his swords low.
Like this, they charged like a warrior on horseback. Kayla thought it funny for a seal and a teddy bear, but didn't dwell on it. She came at them with her own surprise, a high-speed strike aimed straight at Mimia. The Stufful couldn't even react with surprise as he was knocked sideways, but managed to maintain balance. Kayla quickly u-turned for another hit, only to collide with his feet instead.
He adapted already? She gasped in her mind as she bounced off, just about avoiding a couple of slashes from Lucca's swords. Instinct drove her to stumble back from several more attacks, a series of punches from Mimia and slashes from Lucca, each so fast they blurred in her sight. Eventually she hopped back to her friends, gritting her teeth.
"Fast one, aren't you?" Lucca was the same. Now that Kayla got a proper look at his weapons, it was a wonder she even dodged them. One sword had a huge, bright gold blade. The other sword was even longer, with a jagged blade shaped like a lightning bolt. That one crackled with actual electricity, and her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen. She threw herself backwards, dodging a sudden flash of lightning that smacked the spot where she just was. She fell into Pola however, and the couple tumbled to the floor.
"Whoa, was that you?" Kari gasped, dancing on her toes.
"It seems Kayla was right. We're in trouble here," May teased, casually fanning herself with her weapon.
"At least sound serious about what's going on!" Shannon cried.
"There's no way we're hitting him up close," Kayla grumbled as she got up. "Pola, I'm counting on you."
"And you need to not sound so anxious. What happened to all that cockiness?" Pola snickered.
"Pick you goddamn poison, Pola," Kayla huffed.
"Hey if this is serious, then I've got your back," she said, posing to recite. "Shannon, you've got that lightning, right?"
"Kari, you're with me! But be careful," Kayla begged.
"I think I got it," she nodded, revealing her shovel claws.
The two girls rushed in, Kayla boosting ahead to try and strike their opponents by surprise. She aimed for Mimia again, and although the Stufful tensed up, he seemed to be able to react to her. Every time she kicked him, her foot met his own in a defensive stance, and he was stiff enough that Lucca didn't lose balance on his back. She even circled him to try and hit from behind, but he had no trouble twisting and spinning his body in ways that surely weren't comfortable, all to defend against her.
Kari eventually jumped in with her claws bared, only to get locked in place by a heavy slash from Lucca. He interlocked his swords with her claws from above, and attempted to bring them down straight through her. Much to her surprise, she found herself under tremendous pressure.
"A-ack! He-help- me!" Kari squealed. Lucca was strong, and letting up for even a second would result in getting sliced into three.
"Lucca, in the back!" Togekiss popped out all of a sudden, pointing at the rest of the team. Lucca gasped and glanced up, and then Mimia jumped away from the two girls. Once clear, Lucca raised his sword again, and electricity crackled all over it.
"Not this time!" Shannon hopped forward and raised a glowing paw. Lightning struck him instead of Pola, where it harmlessly crackled over him. "Now or never, Pola!"
"I call upon the elements of the sacred trio, rise forth and run my enemy through! Nature Power! Tri Attack!" Pola shouted, pointing both arms straight up. "You're in for it now!"
Her fire and ice beams came first, forcing Mimia to sprint away, both attacks exploding against the floor to leave a large patch of charred ground and ice. Kayla boosted in his way before he could try to approach Pola, threatening to use Jump Kick. Seeing that, Pola thrust both arms to fire her electric beam, to which the mounted duo crossed their arms and swords to defend. The beam hit dead on, engulfing them in a huge, sparkling explosion.
"How do ya like that huh? Yeah!" Pola pumped her fists.
The smoke soon cleared to reveal both Pokémon still standing and mounted. They barely had a scratch on them, but their intense glare and the lingering crackles of electricity implied the damage they took. The sight turned Pola's triumph into a glare of her own, and she quickly rekindled her Tri Attack.
"Change of plan. We need numbers," Lucca growled. With a graceful spin, he leapt off Mimia's back, landing on his tail flippers to hold both swords high. The Togekiss popped out behind him again, this time flapping her wings to fuel him with a stream of blue energy. The energy soaked into him for seemingly no effect.
What's that? Ugh, gonna have to play it safe to find out, Kayla growled in her mind. She sprinted at him, making sure to curve around the edge of the arena so as to avoid Mimia. Kari took the other end, hoping to clash with the Stufful.
Before she got close, Lucca surrounded himself in water for an Aqua Jet attack, prompting her to boost ahead with Quick Attack. To her surprise, he shot off at a similar speed to her, and with his swords out, almost slashed her as he passed. She had a second to gasp and lean back, getting whipped by his water instead.
Of course it made him faster! She growled, charging her feet again. She quickly u-turned and so did he, and this time she met him head on. He was like a watery bullet, and striking him felt no worse than a lash from a wet whip. She coughed as she reeled back hard, losing her voice to the sharp stinging on her forehead. Thankfully Lucca wasn't much better, and had to drag his swords through the ground to stay upright.
He recovered before her however, where Togekiss popped up behind him for another energy boost. The sight kicked Kayla into angst, and she braced for another impact. Instead of Aqua Jet again, Lucca began to spray bubbles from his nose, large bubbles in a variety of colours. It took seconds for the area to be flooded with these bubbles, so many that they obscured most of the scenery and Kayla's allies. She unrolled both ears in order to hear everyone.
Using Aqua Jet again, the Brionne took off up high, and then began to bounce around the area with unpredictable zeal, springing off his bubbles as if they were bumpers in a pinball machine. Kayla followed him with her eyes as best as she could, but the way he randomly pinged about, things quickly blurred. Before she knew it, he was coming straight at her with swords front and centre. She barely reacted with a spin, and then yelled out as he must have hit her directly.
The next thing she knew, she was stumbling back as her world of battle began to fluctuate and fizzle out of focus. She glanced down to find her side had a huge gash in it, which drooled blood at an alarming rate. Just that brief look filled her with dread and horror. Incoherent thoughts filled her mind, and she let out panicked moans and breaths as she fought to stay standing.
"Kayla!" Kari shrieked, skidding in front of her. She caught Mimia's forelegs with her claws, stopping Kayla from being finished off. He was clearly overpowering her however, to which she growled as hard as she could. "I won't… let you hurt her anymore!"
Mimia was taken aback as Kari grew massive, and didn't get a chance to escape being body slammed. Kayla flinched as she was pulled away from the fight, surprised to find Shannon forcing her away. "I've got you. Try to take it easy."
"Why aren't you girls helping?" Pola snapped at the others as Shannon got to work with Life Dew. Ashe was frowning intently, Mog was horrified, and May had a sickeningly smug grin.
"Honestly…" May shrugged. "Take this as you will, but they're way out of our league."
"So that means you won't even try?" he cried.
"This isn't about not trying," Ashe said, and gulped. "One slash from those swords, and it's over for me."
"Should we run? Without a dream catcher, there's not much else we can do," Mog breathed in panic. "If May says they're too strong for us, then what can we do?"
What can we do? Kayla asked herself, fighting tooth and nail to stay awake. Even with the warm liquid soothing her wound, her body felt like it was on fire, and she couldn't stop shuddering. Lucca's bubbles lingered everywhere, and she could hear Mimia and Kari duking it out. The occasional shout from Pola came through too, implying she was still throwing out magic. They haven't given up yet, so think Muffin, think! He can keep up with my Quick Attack, water's gonna resist Ice Beam and Blaze Kick, and like they say, I can't enter the Dream World without a dream catcher… I need a new move, something, anything!
All of a sudden, her heart thumped, hard. It was on the tip of her tongue, an idea she didn't even know she had until now. She had an idea of how to do it, and could very much picture it working. All she had to do was try it the same way she did when she learnt Blaze Kick. Settling her thoughts, she sat up and surveyed the battle once more.
"Kayla wait, Life Dew isn't enough!" Shannon warned, but she ignored him. Kari was covered from head to toe in bruises, yet still she dove toward Mimia, who effortlessly hopped aside and then headbutted her, knocking her back down. Meanwhile, Lucca replenished the bubbles in the arena once more, prompting Pola to throw out a rain of light Tri Attack beams to try and pop them.
"If I'm right, I can pop them all at once. Let's go, Muffin," Kayla panted, charging her feet.
"Kayla!" Shannon shouted but she boosted off.
During her approach, Kayla leapt into a graceful spin like an ice skater, imagining a familiar setting, a field of flowers. She conjured a flurry of leaves and yellow petals which continued to circle her as she landed.
"Oh?" May's eyes widened.
"What's that?" Pola gasped.
Kayla had turned into a little yellow twister of swirling petals, many of which trailed behind her in a long, sharp arc. Like this, she began to circle the concerned Lucca, causing her petals to start storming around into a much larger hurricane. With a triumphant cry, Kayla hopped up high, and then slammed down in front of Lucca, sending all of her petals haywire in a storm of slashes and waves. It resembled a giant yellow rose briefly, which exploded and sent the leaves everywhere.
Everyone and everything was hit. Lucca and Mimia, the bubbles, even Team Daybreak were each struck by the waves of razor thin petals. They tore through the arena like a hurricane of knives, drawing cuts and scratches that made everyone flinch.
Seeing her success, Kayla wasn't about to let the moment go to waste. She boosted into the flinching Lucca, striking his face as hard as she could to drag him across the floor, earning just as anxious and angry a growl from the Brionne. He retaliated with Aqua Jet of his own, but Kayla ran alongside him, determined to hit him head on again.
What followed was a series of attacks even Kayla struggled to follow. It was moment-to-moment for her – a kick to the face, then a duck to dodge a slash, then a shoulder tackle, only to be knocked back by a tail. Everything was blurry and shrouded by water, but it didn't matter. All that was important was that this Brionne was in her sights and she was hitting him where it hurt. Attack after attack, dodge after dodge, all while constantly sprinting with Quick Attack and Aqua Jet, and all within the span of a few seconds.
Faster Muffin, faster! You need to be faster! Kayla screamed at herself.
Instinct she never knew she had drove every movement, even as they separated and she had to go on the evasive. Lucca called lightning bolts with his sword several times, making Kayla hop back and forth as she sprinted toward him, before he released another spray of bubbles to try and keep her back. The next thing she knew, she was bouncing between those bubbles, kicking off them so hard they popped to further propel her forward. Lucca took to doing the same with Aqua Jet again, and just like she didn't want, they wound up face to face. Don't lose, don't lose!
The words welled up every ounce of strength she could muster as she kicked off headfirst into that watery bullet. Kayla's shirt had long since shrouded her in trails of blue light, and when they clashed, those trails erupted against Lucca's water. Theirs heads butted hard as they attempted to strike the other, while their trails flowed behind them in mighty gushes of wind.
Kayla's teeth were grit harder than ever before, while all her senses were laser focused on this battle. Seconds later, even the Brionne began to blur however, and Kayla couldn't help but let out a moan. Seeing her moment of weakness, Lucca yelled at the top of his voice as he pushed harder, and then that was it. An immense pain struck Kayla all over so hard her attack stopped completely, and she was sent flying by Lucca's Aqua Jet.
"Kayla!" Kari shrieked again.
Everything blanked out in the moment, but smashing into a wall seemed to jolt her into some sort of consciousness. She could barely keep her eyes open, and everything she could hear was muffled beyond recognition. She could still tell her friends were calling her name, and she caught a glimpse of their blurry colours fill her view, but then her eyelids grew too heavy. She still made an effort to lift her head, her leg, anything, but it was fruitless.
"No! No no no no no no, Shannon, do something!" Kari cried.
"I'm trying!" he yelled at her. "Life Dew isn't enough. Gods damn it, please! Just give me something, anything!"
"Fuck… Hey, you're meant to be heroes, aren't ya?" Pola snapped at Lucca and Mimia, who watched from a distance in shock. "If this girl dies, then so will you!"
"I knew doing this while wounded was a bad idea. It's no good, the blood won't stop," Shannon shivered. It almost looked like Life Dew was making her worse. "We never should've done this. Gone here and… and… Raargh!"
"Keep your cool and concentrate. As long as you can focus, you can heal her. We've seen you do it before," May assured.
"I should've done something. I should've done something! Now Kayla's…" Mog whimpered pathetically.
"Don't blame yourself. If you know Heal Pulse, try that," Ashe patted her on the back.
"I… I-I do! But it…" Mog whimpered. She shut her eyes and shook, and then fluttered over.
"This scene…" Lucca muttered, still watching from a distance. "They all abandoned the fight to tend to their friend. But I attacked to kill. I don't know if she'll make it."
Mimia whined in agreement, and then barked at him. Angel popped out with a goofy smirk. "I know that look. You guys're feeling bad, huh?"
"If there's something you can do," he requested.
"Hey as long as this weird stuff's going on, there's plenty I can do. Honestly, it's almost handy being a spirit!" she remarked, performing a lazy flip. "Buuuut, this is a thing. You really gonna risk it with envoys from another world?"
"Please. If they really are heroes, then they know this battle is over," Lucca begged.
Angel nodded, and then floated over to the fretting Team Daybreak, spreading her wings wide. "Make way, your Angel is here!"
"You!" Pola gasped. She and Kari stood guard over Kayla, letting Shannon and Mog continue to work their magic. Seeing that, Angel posed with a wing by her mouth.
"Hmm… actually, it's him I want. And the two of you can't stop me, anyway," she giggled, flying straight through them like ghost. They gasped, but couldn't stop her from giving Shannon a heavy tap on the tail. Whatever she'd done, the Pachirisu shivered straight up, suddenly looking like he'd seen a ghost.
"Will you quit it? Leave him alone!" Pola cried, leaping into them.
"Ack!" Angel choked as Pola went straight through her and wound up tackling Shannon instead.
…
Pola shut her eyes when she jumped, so she was surprised when she felt like she was regaining consciousness. Her eyelids were heavy, and there was liquid below her. Growling in effort to open her eyes, she screamed and splashed into whatever pool of liquid she was in. It was deep enough to drown in, and she didn't have anything to hold onto.
She got a hold of herself after a moment. This place was as cold as ice, chilling her right to the bone while a powerful wind pulled her ears and weave to the side. Despite that, the water had no current or waves, at least around her. There were gigantic tidal waves circling her in the distance thanks to the cyclone she was in the centre of. The heavy, constant rumble of shockwaves filled the air, while islands floated in mid-air, each one adorned with mutagenic woodland. Wherever she looked, the world was in chaos, and somehow, that relaxed her.
She knew what this was. She knew exactly what this was. The unease in her heart lifted. Somehow, the water she was in was completely still, peaceful even, and allowed her to see between the blurry winds at a sunny, clear sky. It was almost as if the chaotic nature was an illusion or a figment of her imagination.
Yes, that's exactly what it was. Her imagination.
She had control over it. Concentrating, she dove into the water, down past the violent whirlpools surrounding her, and into the calm, still depts where the surface wasn't visible. Nothing was here except for herself and her thoughts. She knew exactly what to do, even though this was something she had never done before.
She started with a raise of her hand, and then twirled it around to her front. A trail of light followed her movement, making her excited. She began to twirl through the water, drawing this trail into a pretty, ancient pattern. The chaotic nature separated from the water around her, leaving a space between herself and this destroyed world. Pola was the core of this chaos, protected by a perfect sphere of water.
As her dance continued, she began to conjure this chaos. The wind followed her palm, the torrential water gathered before her face, the lands formed below her feet. Then, with the closure of her palm, nature silenced for a second, and then exploded. The water sphere around her broke into harmless droplets, leaving an excited Pola to float down onto the land she created, which was erupting with streams of lava. Satisfied, Pola shut her eyes and relaxed.
…
When Pola came to, Shannon was in the middle of a Visionary move, but one she hadn't seen before. He looked like he was praying, and the air around him darkened, intensifying a glow from below him. Gold stars occasionally emanated from the glow, which gradually grew stronger as the Pachirisu's power rose.
"Goddess of health, I beg of thee, return this poor soul from purgatory…" Shannon recited, sounding desperate. With a raise of his paws, he cast the energy into the sky as a beautiful, crystalline shooting star. "Wish!"
His star immediately came down, making everyone jump as it crashed into the ground. It was harmless however, and spread a huge star symbol across the floor beneath them. The same pretty glow that surrounded Shannon while he was charging came up from the symbol, filling the team with warmth. Everyone made unsure noises until Kari squealed, drawing all eyes to Kayla. The light was working a miracle, coating her wounds in light. Seconds later, the light dimmed, leaving her fur in its place. Kayla looked like she hadn't been wounded at all.
"Kayla?" Kari said quietly. The symbol on the floor quickly faded, and Shannon collapsed onto all fours. He was sweating and panting hard.
"Is she…?" Pola shuddered. Soon enough, the Buneary twitched and groaned. "Kayla!"
"What's… ah, huh?" she got up dozily. She suddenly kicked herself to her feet, glancing all around. "Oh dang, I really messed up this time!"
"You did! Did you forget you were wounded or something?" Pola put her paws on her hips.
"I er," she mouthed, stopping when she saw Kari, who had tears in her eyes. She looked good as new, too.
"Kayla!" wailed the Furret, diving into a big cuddle.
"Whoa hey, I'm right here!" Kayla snickered awkwardly. "Uh, there, there? I wasn't dying or anything."
"You… were. The Night Terror attacked to kill," May said, adjusting her scarf.
"Night Terror?" Lucca said aloud, bringing their attention to him. The Brionne sheathed his swords and came over, joined by his Stufful partner. "You guys keep saying that. Are you referring to me?"
"Who else? You're the monster we found in the crystal," Kayla answered. Kari kept her paws around her, but faced Lucca worriedly.
"You don't need to look like that, I'm not going to hurt you anymore. I just want to get to the bottom of this," Lucca said. Mimia yipped happily, wagging his tail. "If it's any clarity, I'm King Lucca Aska, one of the legendary Shining Warriors of Heroica."
"Heroica? Shining Warriors? Is that some kinda local legend?" Pola cocked her head.
"It's not a name I'm familiar with. They're not names recorded on Isnomia's map," May confessed.
"Not legends I've heard of, I'm afraid," Ashe added.
"I… had a feeling. I don't recognise the name Isnomia," Lucca replied.
"'Cos it's from another world, sillies!" Angel giggled, popping up beside them.
"Another world? There are more worlds out there besides the human world?" Kayla was surprised.
"Of course! And they've all got their fair share of heroes and villains," Angel remarked. "I dunno how it happened, but you heroes crossed worlds into this one and wound up fighting against its heroes. There's only two of the six here, but you didn't stand a chance!"
"I don't know about not standing a chance. That was some pretty out of this world healing magic you just pulled off," Lucca commented.
"Likewise on the power of your attacks. And the ghost Togekiss, too. What's your story?" Kayla asked.
"That… might be a long one. A little too long for now," Lucca rubbed the back of his head. "Perhaps if you're curious, you can look up Heroica Legends in your spare time?"
"Maybe when I'm done with my own story," Kayla snickered.
"In any case, if you have no business here, then you should leave. I aimed to kill because I thought you were enemies. Things are on edge here, for reasons," Lucca explained.
"Uh, anything we can help with?" Kayla cocked her head.
"Kayla!" Kari squeaked.
"Especially considering we lost, we should heed his advice," May said. "We didn't intend to end up here, but essentially left with what we intended to get, anyway."
"I don't want another scare like that. Girls please, let's go," Ashe agreed. She bowed to Lucca and company. "I apologise for the trouble we've all caused."
Kayla was surprised to see them all leaving just like that, although Kari stayed back and hadn't detached from her. She stared straight at Lucca, who stared back, hiding his thoughts with a blank expression. "I'm not happy. About losing to you."
She left it at that, catching up to the others.